Parents of Russellville students joined school officials Tuesday at Russellville Middle School, where they were given the opportunity to voice concerns of the school district, primarily of how to engage students and help lower what officials referred to as the “achievement gap.”

“‘Achievement gap’ just means that every child is not living up to their potential and we want to help them,” Russellville School District (RSD) Assistant Superintendent Alene Bynum said. “We want all children to perform at high levels.”

Bynum stressed the importance of meeting the needs of the Whole Child — an initiative that focuses on more than test scores and homework, and emphasizes five tenants for the child’s growth: health; support; challenge; engagement and safety.

“Children are more than just numbers or test scores,” she said. “We have a great curriculum, we’re promoting a healthy lifestyle, we’re proactive in making sure the children have a safe environment where they’re safe physically and emotionally ... the district is doing a lot for the Whole Child initiative and will do more.”

Joy Leaphart, whose daughter attends ninth grade in Russellville, was one of the small group of parents who attended the meeting.

“I’m here because I think that parents have to be involved in their children’s education,” she said. “It’s not just the school district’s responsibility or the child’s responsibility or the teacher’s responsibility. It’s a group responsibility, and we all have to be involved.”

Leaphart voiced concerns over how to keep children safe in a world that revolves around social media and technology, as well as how middle school and junior high students will adapt to Common Core standards that are in the middle of a widespread implementation process among the district, as well as schools throughout the state.

Because of the implementation timeline, current elementary students will have already been conditioned to the new standards and current high school students will have graduated by the Core’s full implementation, leaving questions of middle and junior high school students’ adaptation into the new curriculum.

“Middle school and junior high kids are going to be the gap kids, so it’s a real concern for us of how we’re going to close that gap ... and how we’re going to make sure our kids don’t get lost in it,” Leaphart said.

Bynum said teachers are training to make the process smoother for students.

“For students that are in Common Core in the elementary schools, it’ll be a seemless process,” she said. “But for those who are caught in the middle, the new standards are higher than what they’ve been prepared for, and the district teachers are prepared to scaffold the learning.”

Randy Polk, father of two Russellville students, one in ninth grade and the other in seventh, emphasized the importance of seeing his children engaged and challenged academically, as well as provided a variety of healthy foods and a safe environment.

But the meeting wasn’t just an opportunity for parents to voice their concerns. The district earned praise from parents who commended the staff and its standards.

Polk praised the district’s implementation of new challenges and teaching methods to better engage students, as well as safety protocol, such as the installation of resource officers.

“There’s going to be some nice changes. There already have been,” he said. “This district’s really doing some nice things.”

Leaphart praised her daughter’s algebra teacher for positive feedback she gave on the student’s progress in class, as well as the school’s recent security upgrades.

“Our schools do a great job protecting our kids with the security standards that they have,” she said. “Having police officers in the school, not only as a resource but as a role model, and for the kids to see that the cops aren’t a threat. They see that they’re here and that they can be someone they can talk to, they can be a resource and someone to look up to rather than fear.”

But one of the biggest compliments Leaphart gave the district was its ability to use the parents’ recommendations.

“We get to provide them information, they receive it and they act on it,” she said. “And I can say they act on it because I attended this meeting last year, and I’ve been able to see some results from that.”

Bynum said she also heard suggestions regarding summer school, increased after-school tutoring and how to make teachers better mentors to students.

“We’re partners with parents,” Bynum said. “And their ideas matter.”

RSD will host its annual report to patrons at 6 p.m. Monday at Russellville Junior High School.

To learn more about the Whole Child initiative, visit www.wholechildorganization.org.